There’s Something Wrong about “There Goes the Neighborhood”

First off, it’s a reality show and therefore very cheap for the network to run, especially in the summer, but $250,000 as a prize? What happened to who wants to be a millionaire (but not really)?

Second, the walls made me think about the West Bank, Jerusalem and Baghdad, particularly when the electricity went out. And the exit gate is just wrong on many levels.

Third, as a game goes, it is completely unfair. One family only has two members, and they didn’t get booted off, so they will force the game to be a two people thing until they are. And the families with small children or elderly members will have to depend on their other members if the competition continues to be physical.

It’s a stupid show. It’s insulting on several levels. I wonder how long it took them to find a barely diversified neighborhood who would agree to have this done to them. Hooray for them that they found a block in America with a lesbian couple and an inter-racial couple.

At different points, family members complained about not being able to get beyond the wall or hearing the sounds of outside and being frustrated. But there was always the reinforcement of the isolation being a good thing for these families — that it made them spend time with each other. It takes a reality show to do that? There was the same sort of talk last year here in Houston after Ike. My family doesn’t have this problem. Why does yours?

So, when Iraqis were separated from their larger city and the electricity was out, that was good for them? When Palestinians are blocked from reaching their land and the larger society by a wall that’s a good thing?

Let’s see what regular media critic Ann Althouse has to say about it. Nothing. Oh well, it seems she has been busy getting married to a commenter, so I should cut her some slack. But she’s still sloppy. No excuse for that.